True Ice Blue / Red caps for the clusters !!
11-14-03, 05:04 PM
#542
Lexus Test Driver
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damn!!!!....
how does that red smd needle compare to the stock red in intensity and the way it illuminates?
also, which needle do you think better compliments the white background-the white or red smd's?
how does that red smd needle compare to the stock red in intensity and the way it illuminates?
also, which needle do you think better compliments the white background-the white or red smd's?
Last edited by nextlevelcoupe; 11-14-03 at 05:08 PM.
11-14-03, 09:34 PM
#543
11-16-03, 09:05 AM
#547
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Hey O.L.T.,
I was wondering if you could share your experience in how to put the SMD's together to get the 1.7 volt across each. From the picture it looks like there 3 sets of 8 SMD’s each. My guess is that the 8 SMD's are connected in series while each set is connected in parallel. Correct?
Great job, by the way.
I was wondering if you could share your experience in how to put the SMD's together to get the 1.7 volt across each. From the picture it looks like there 3 sets of 8 SMD’s each. My guess is that the 8 SMD's are connected in series while each set is connected in parallel. Correct?
Great job, by the way.
11-16-03, 02:12 PM
#548
Keeper of the light
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danieljava, i have sent out privately roughly 5 DIY kits and instructions to people that wanted to try it themselves. All 5 came back destroyed and i had to spend excess time cleaning up the mess. As a result, i don't specifically post a DIY because most people don't realize what it takes (like mrshabo, no offense shab) when getting one of these together. I don't want to have to clean it up, and i dont want to see people destroy their units.
As a result i have came up with this system to qualify someone, which inadvertently takes care of the DIY within itself.
"if you are experienced enough, you can look at my extremely detailed close up photo's and explanations and be able to pick up on how to do it". Someone who can understand the concepts involved by looking at the photo's can do this with no problem, if not, the job is far more complicated than appears.
I will go in depth to give you the specifics of the operation so you don't see me as leaving you to hang on this question, because i DO want to help.
The SMD's are far more complicated than most people can imagine. If it were as easy as assembling them, i would not have had to spend $3k on equiptment to build them. SMD's ( or any lighted diode for that matter) DO NOT operate off of voltage, or even frequency. The critical key for assembling and operating diodes is based on "Duty Cycle" which is the rise time length on time / off time of the SMD. Sticking strait voltage to the SMD's (which are far more fragile then the LED's) would burn them out in a very short timeframe. They must be regulated with the use of a digital chip called an OP AMP. This chip is an adjustable microchip that can be programmed to the SMD on and off for a very specific amount of time. By doing this, it allows the SMD to be on for the amount of time needed for the light to reach your eyes, then turn off and back on before your eye's notice that the SMD has been off. This "DUTY CYCLE" keeps the SMD on for ... let's say 50% of the time, then off for 50% of the time. this in effect allows the unit to be on long enough for the light to reach your eyes, turn off and cool down, then turn back on before you notice. This effect can make an SMD that only lasts (for example) 80 hours last for over 2,000 hours while still lighting the same brightness as strait voltage and your eye's never know the difference.
Now, the difference between frequency and duty cycle is this: frequency is the rate at which it turns on and off, duty cycle is the time it it on, which is the critical part because if it is on too long, it will overheat. What I have done, is to go inside the clusters with my O'scope ($2,000 if you wanna try it yourself) and changed the duty cycle of the chip in the cluster to work with MY SMD's design.
This is just one example of how much goes into building and maintaining the design i have made for these needles. As you can see, just telling you how to build it would do you no good. I have spent too much time designing the setup, and there are certain things ( such as duty cycle) that you simply cannot do by yourself. The stock cluster has a decent duty cycle, but by ME doing it rather than you, the SMD's will last literally forever, and i actually state that when i build a cluster for someone. Besides, i do all this for free, i'm just practicing for when i finish my engineering degree and get out in the world. So unless you just want to build them yourself, i see no need to.
As a result i have came up with this system to qualify someone, which inadvertently takes care of the DIY within itself.
"if you are experienced enough, you can look at my extremely detailed close up photo's and explanations and be able to pick up on how to do it". Someone who can understand the concepts involved by looking at the photo's can do this with no problem, if not, the job is far more complicated than appears.
I will go in depth to give you the specifics of the operation so you don't see me as leaving you to hang on this question, because i DO want to help.
The SMD's are far more complicated than most people can imagine. If it were as easy as assembling them, i would not have had to spend $3k on equiptment to build them. SMD's ( or any lighted diode for that matter) DO NOT operate off of voltage, or even frequency. The critical key for assembling and operating diodes is based on "Duty Cycle" which is the rise time length on time / off time of the SMD. Sticking strait voltage to the SMD's (which are far more fragile then the LED's) would burn them out in a very short timeframe. They must be regulated with the use of a digital chip called an OP AMP. This chip is an adjustable microchip that can be programmed to the SMD on and off for a very specific amount of time. By doing this, it allows the SMD to be on for the amount of time needed for the light to reach your eyes, then turn off and back on before your eye's notice that the SMD has been off. This "DUTY CYCLE" keeps the SMD on for ... let's say 50% of the time, then off for 50% of the time. this in effect allows the unit to be on long enough for the light to reach your eyes, turn off and cool down, then turn back on before you notice. This effect can make an SMD that only lasts (for example) 80 hours last for over 2,000 hours while still lighting the same brightness as strait voltage and your eye's never know the difference.
Now, the difference between frequency and duty cycle is this: frequency is the rate at which it turns on and off, duty cycle is the time it it on, which is the critical part because if it is on too long, it will overheat. What I have done, is to go inside the clusters with my O'scope ($2,000 if you wanna try it yourself) and changed the duty cycle of the chip in the cluster to work with MY SMD's design.
This is just one example of how much goes into building and maintaining the design i have made for these needles. As you can see, just telling you how to build it would do you no good. I have spent too much time designing the setup, and there are certain things ( such as duty cycle) that you simply cannot do by yourself. The stock cluster has a decent duty cycle, but by ME doing it rather than you, the SMD's will last literally forever, and i actually state that when i build a cluster for someone. Besides, i do all this for free, i'm just practicing for when i finish my engineering degree and get out in the world. So unless you just want to build them yourself, i see no need to.
Last edited by O. L. T.; 11-16-03 at 06:35 PM.
11-16-03, 06:22 PM
#549
Pole Position
yes i would leave the techical stuff to the master....its the shipping part that im worried about...lol j/k....
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11-17-03, 02:37 PM
#551
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O.L.T,
Thanks for your detailed explanation and warning. It's been 10 years since I did anything with OpAmp but now I prefer not to get involved with analog design besides hooking up an LED and a resistor to a battery! (I'm actually more in the software side now). I have a '92 SC300. How do you recommend I go about replacing my RPM and Speedometer needles? Can you build them for a fee for me? Do I have to modify the cluster as well?
Thanks.
Thanks for your detailed explanation and warning. It's been 10 years since I did anything with OpAmp but now I prefer not to get involved with analog design besides hooking up an LED and a resistor to a battery! (I'm actually more in the software side now). I have a '92 SC300. How do you recommend I go about replacing my RPM and Speedometer needles? Can you build them for a fee for me? Do I have to modify the cluster as well?
Thanks.
11-17-03, 03:24 PM
#552
11-17-03, 03:47 PM
#553
Pole Position
He will however graciously except tips!...lol
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11-17-03, 07:07 PM
#555
Pole Position
Originally posted by siniquezu
And they are well deserved.
And they are well deserved.
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